


The Queen of Whispers

by WannabeGinger



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, Arranged Marriage, Backstory, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Physical Abuse, Pregnancy, Rape
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2020-11-28 11:04:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 16
Words: 11,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20965508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WannabeGinger/pseuds/WannabeGinger
Summary: Now she's the head of the Spellman family, but why does Zelda appear to be so cold to others?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all. This story has been bouncing around in my head for a while. It largely exists in the time before the show started, starting in 1830. I apologize in advance to what happens to Zelda in this story. She’s such a complex character and I wanted to dive deeper into who she is. While I just want Zelda Spellman to be happy, this isn’t one of those stories. This story will contain uncomfortable themes, such as child abuse, rape, and murder of an original character. I’ll label those chapters accordingly.  
This first chapter implies child sexual abuse.  
Enjoy!

Sabrina started to leave when Zelda put her hand out. “Wait, Edward wrote about me?”

“Sometimes, mostly in the journals from when he was still in school.”

“What did he say?”

“That after Grandma died you grew up almost instantly. Auntie, what did he mean?”

* * *

Two months had passed since Locasta Spellman had died in childbirth, along with the child she was carrying. Richard Spellman had sent their youngest child, Hilda, to live with family in England, as he didn’t know the first thing about raising a young girl. Edward and Philip had just returned to the academy, leaving Zelda as the only child at home. She spent a lot of time trying to stay out of the way. At the funeral she had heard everyone whispering about how she was a clone of her mother. 

Zelda could hear her father drinking himself into oblivion every night, and usually she tried to keep out of the way. But she desperately needed to use the bathroom. She got to the bathroom fine, but she tripped on the edge of the carpet on her way back to bed. His footsteps followed hers as she ran back to bed.

As she pretended to be asleep she felt the bed dip under his weight. His hand slid over the length of her body. The thin blanket that kept their skin from touching did little to protect her nose from the smell of whiskey seeping from his pores. She squeezed her eyes tighter as he rolled her to face him and kissed her roughly.

* * *

Zelda sat in the tub washing her body, careful to not aggravate injuries her father had given her. They weren’t all from him raping her, if she didn’t act the way he wanted her to he would hit her with his belt. The door slammed and she sunk farther into the water. There was a second set of footsteps, so she assumed it was safe to go back to her room. She got dressed and made her way to her room. Her father was sitting on the corner of her bed next to a dress she had never seen before.

“Put this on and do your hair. We have a visitor.”

She felt the material of the new dress as she waited for her father to leave. Instead he began to unbutton her dress, his hands lingering. The new dress slipped over her head and he helped fasten it. After quickly running a brush through her hair and tying half of it back they left her room.

A man Zelda remembered seeing at her mother’s funeral. Her father sat in the lone chair, leaving the her to sit next to the stranger. They made idle conversation until her father left the room, under the guise that he was getting something to drink. The man inched closer and moved a lock of her hair behind her ear, she knew what would follow.

* * *

“Lilith, please hear my prayers.” Zelda took a deep breath before continuing, “Father hurts me and I’m not sure how much longer I can take it. He’s so angry at me.” She opened her eyes and looked towards the door, making sure she couldn’t hear anyone coming towards her room. Hearing nothing, she continued. “He rapes me, Lilith. He lets his friends rape me. Lilith, please give me the strength to get through this.”

She crawled into her bed and pulled the covers to her chin. She fell asleep listening to the sound of her father and his friends drinking downstairs. Unbeknownst to her, Lilith appeared and sat in her room all night, keeping her safe.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is really just a fluff/filler chapter. Things will be getting angst-y soon.  
Enjoy :)

Her dark baptism was the best day of Zelda’s young life. Wearing the dress her mother wore to her dark baptism, she signed her name in the book and the next day she moved into the academy. Edward showed her around. Some of the professors nodded as they passed. Mostly because of Edward, but a couple of them had gone to bed with her. 

The first day of classes was overwhelming. It had been so long since she had focused on studying witchcraft, her mother had been the one in charge of teaching them. As a Spellman she was expected to know more than her peers, but she knew considerably less. Luckily most of the other students didn't want to talk to her about their homework, so nobody caught on that she didn't know some of the more important things about their faith.

She borrowed papers written by both of her brothers and took as many books to her table as the library allowed. After a couple months she had caught up on her studies, and was beginning to test out of her classes. Other students saw how the male professors treated her. They didn’t know how many of them had started visiting her before she was a student, but they all gossiped about Zelda sleeping her way to straight A's.

Despite her age they put her in an advanced conjuring class. Edward had just finished the class, and was not very glad that she was quickly catching up with him.

* * *

It was her first Lupercalia at the academy, which meant it was the first year she was allowed to partake in the festivities. She didn’t care who she was paired with, any of the students would be a change from the adult men who shared her bed. As luck would have it the lap she sat on belonged to one of the most popular boys at the academy. The other girls glared at her as they left.

The next night during the courting they laid side by side and intertwined their pinkies as they fed each other. He didn’t pressure her to do anything. For the first time in her life Zelda was able to be next to a man in an intimate setting without being violated. For the first time Zelda was able to choose what happened.

The hunt went well. Zelda ran after her wolf as the other girls caught theirs, of course he had to be a great runner. When she finally caught him she jumped on his back and they fell to the ground. She got off of him so he could roll over. He rolled himself on top of her, and held a plank over her so that their bodies weren't really touching. She wrapped her legs around him and flipped them so that she was on top. She trailed kisses from his jaw to his extremely toned stomach as she undid his pants.

* * *

It was past bed checks when Zelda walked through the Academy doors, but she didn’t care. She was always able to flirt her way out of being punished. As always, she carried her shoes to limit the sound of footsteps, but when she reached the dormitory door she could hear the girls still talking. She crouched behind a statue and placed her ear next to a vent into the room. She couldn’t tell who the owners of the voices were.

“Who do you think she’s with tonight?”

“She’s already worked her way through the male professors.”

“And half of the female ones.”

“I think she’s with Professor Blackwood.”

“He’s only been here for a week!”

“Did you see her face when the High Priest introduced him? She was practically drooling.”

Zelda stood up and walked a distance away from the door, she let go of her shoes and let them alert the girls of a presence. The talking stopped as she picked them off the ground and walked into the room. Shirley Jackson was sitting on the end of one of the other girl’s bed. It was clear that Shirley had led the conversation.

“What are you all talking about? Normally you’re all asleep when I come in.”

Shirley walked over to Zelda’s bed. “We were talking about which professor is the best in bed. Surely you can tell us, Zelda, nobody would know better than you.”

Zelda knew Shirley was trying to upset her, but she wouldn’t get the satisfaction. “Well, it depends. Professor Kyteler does this thing with her tongue that feels so amazing you’ll swear you’ve died and gone to Hell. But if you mean the men, Professor Fynne would probably be the best, he at least tries to get you off.”

“What about Professor Blackwood?”

“I wouldn’t know. Edward made me promise not to.” Zelda got into her bed and turned her back to Shirley. She knew Shirley would try to use what she just said against her, but she didn’t have enough energy to care.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some academy filler. There is a very brief mention of abuse at the end.

Edward and Philip both graduated from the academy at the top of their class. Of course most professors ignored how Philip’s assignments usually appeared to be first drafts of Edwards work. Nonetheless it was a grand achievement and the Spellman family threw a party in their honor. Hilda had spent the entire day preparing food, as Zelda and their brothers cleaned and set up. 

Students and teachers flooded the Spellman property. Inside guests mingled and ate while outside a makeshift dance floor had been set up. Zelda avoided the dancing, not because she didn’t want to dance, but because she could feel her father’s eye on her the entire night. She did her best

“Is this seat taken?”

“Professor Blackwood, I’m glad you came. Edward couldn’t have done this without you.” Zelda gestured for him to sit.

“He’s a very bright student, your family must be proud.”

“Father is very proud of his sons. Edward for his knowledge, and Philip for his physicality. He couldn’t have asked for better men to carry on the Spellman name.”

“I’m sure he’s proud of you too.” Faustus watched as her face fell. How could someone not be proud of the accomplished witch? “Miss Spellman would you like to dance?”

“Oh, I’m not sure that would be the wisest choice.”

“Come on, we can show everyone out there how to waltz properly. You know you want to.”

“Alright, I guess it would be rude not to accept.” He led her to the dance floor. As predicted the other couples on the floor watched how they moved together. As they floated around the dance floor Zelda forgot her worries. Until she locked eyes with her father. Disappointment radiated from him. The song ended and she rushed back towards the house. Leaving a confused Faustus behind.

* * *

“What were you doing with your brother’s mentor, Zelda?”

“He asked me to dance, it would have been rude to say no.”

“How can you find a prominent husband while everyone sees you making eyes at a teacher?”

“I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.”

“You’d better not. Now go help your sister with the food.”

* * *

Zelda looked at her schedule for the term that was starting tomorrow. She had a heavy course load, but that was okay. As long as she kept busy and performed well her father didn’t expect visits home. Hilda went home most weekends and if she happened to say anything about Zelda doing anything but studying he would come to the school to punish her.

She had three independent studies, one of which was to be supervised by Faustus Blackwood. In the weeks since the party she had found herself thinking about him a lot. He was very attractive, and unlike most of the male professors he respected her. She never caught him leering at her, and he never pulled her into an empty room between classes.

Upper year students were allowed to live in single rooms without curfews, and Zelda was glad she could finally live her own way. She unpacked the rest of her things and settled on her bed with a stack of books. The earlier she started on her independent studies the better.

* * *

It was late, Zelda sat at the table she usually occupied in the library. Faustus Blackwood saw his pupil engrossed in her books. As he walked towards her he noticed the dark circles under her eyes and the way she pressing her hand into the base of her neck.

“Miss Spellman, how are your studies going? I don’t see you around the academy very often this term.”

She looked up to see him standing across from her. “Oh, I hardly leave the library if I’m not in class. I think once I get used to how much I’m doing things will be okay.”

“If you need to drop a course to lighten your load you can, it’s still early enough in the term.”

“No, I’m fine we don’t have to do that.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m tough, I can handle it.” Before he could walk away they heard a rumble from Zelda’s stomach. “Sorry about that.”

“Zelda, have you eaten today?”

She looked down and thought for a moment. “I drank two cups of coffee.”

“But no food?” He didn’t wait for her to answer. “Pack your things and follow me.”

“I really shouldn’t…”

“I’m not taking no for an answer.” She gathered her things and followed him into the hallway. She blinked and found herself in an unfamiliar kitchen. 

“Take a seat. I’ll throw something together.”

He moved throughout the kitchen with ease, throwing things into the pot on the stove without care. She didn’t realize how long she had been watching him when he started pouring the soup into bowls for them. He set it in front of her and sat down.

“This smells great, what is it?”

“Just something my mother used to make. Go ahead try it.”

They ate the soup and made idle conversation.

“The night of the party… you ran away so quickly when the song finished. Did I do something wrong?”

“No, no it wasn’t you.”

“Miss Spellman… Zelda, are you okay?”

“Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Your brother occasionally talked about you. About how you and your father interact.”

Her eyes went wide. “What did he tell you?” Her voice cracked.

“That your father beats you.”

She looked down into her lap. “He doesn’t do it very often now.”

“Would you like me to do something about it?”

She chuckled and confusion flooded his face. “You can’t do anything. The people you would report it to already know. They’ve always known,” she explained, and her voice faded out.

They finished eating and he lead her to the door.

“Thank you for the meal, Professor.”

“Please, there’s no need for titles, call me Faustus.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy :)

A knock interrupted Zelda’s studying, only one person ever came to visit her anymore. 

“Come in.” 

Faustus walked in and stood behind her. Before she could say anything he started massaging the knots in her shoulders. She moaned as the tension melted away.

“You should take a break. We can go out.”

“I’ve got to work on my thesis. I’m supposed to turn it in in three days and it’s terrible. They’re going to take one look at this and laugh in my face. This was a mistake, I can’t finish early!”

“What is it about?”

“The Sacred Scriptures and how it applies to witches today.”

“Sounds interesting, let me read it.”

“Okay, but I’m warning you it isn’t good.”

He read her paper as she watched. He finished reading and set it down.

“You’re right it isn’t good…”

“I knew it.”

“Let me finish. It’s excellent. There isn’t even much left to fine-tune, just a bit of spelling on the last page.”

“You mean it?”

“Of course, why would I lie to you?”

“Because if they don’t accept my thesis I won’t be able to graduate and I’ll have to stay at the academy longer. Which means I’m easily available.”

“While I would love it if you stayed, you don’t need to be here, Zelda. You’ve completed all of the coursework, it’s time for you to go out and put what you’ve learned to use. Anyway if you weren’t a student anymore we could go out without worrying who saw us.” 

“It’s not like people don’t already know about us, Faustus. We have hardly been as discrete as I had planned.”

“Okay, so people know, let’s go out tonight. You need to take a break and come back refreshed.”

“Fine. But could we just go to your house? I’m not in the mood to be around people.”

At his house he lit the fireplace and she sat down at his piano. Fingers flew over the keys and they both closed their eyes. Originally she had been playing  _ Francesca da Rimini _ , one of her favorite Tchaikovsky pieces, but eventually started playing her own music. She started humming harmony and all of the thoughts of doubt she had about her thesis melted away. 

They sat in front of the fire, drinking wine. Her body sank into his and her breathing slowed. He picked her up and set her on his bed.

Light streaming in through the window woke her up the next morning. A note on the other side of the bed told her that he had left breakfast for her before going to the academy. She changed into the spare dress she had left.

Sitting at his kitchen table she rewrote her thesis for cleanliness. The finished product sat in front of her. It had taken her the rest of the day, but when he walked through the front door he saw a smile spread across her face.

“It’s finished! Faustus, I did it!”

“I knew you could do it.” His eyes looked downcast and she realized that he hadn’t been smiling when he came through the door.

“Faustus… what’s wrong?”

“Zelda, we need to talk."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy :)

A knock on the heavy door echoed through Faustus’s office.

“Come in.” Upon seeing his former mentee he smiled. “Edward, I haven’t seen you in ages.”

“Faustus, we need to talk. My father has learned of your… relationship with my sister.”

“I love your sister. I intend to propose once she gets her final grades back.”

“You can’t give her the status we want for her. If you don’t break things off she will suffer. If you truly loved her you would let her go.”

* * *

“What did I do?”

“You didn’t do anything. You’re about to go out into the world as a fully-educated witch. You can travel and meet someone better.”

“But I love  _ you _ .  _ We  _ could travel. Faustus, please.”

“Zelda, please just go. I’m not going to change my mind.”

* * *

Zelda walked up the stairs and set her suitcases by the door. Before she could open the door it swung open. Inside stood her father, brother, and two men Zelda didn’t recognize.

“Zelda, this is Brahm Dugal.” The younger of the two men extended his hand to her.

She placed her hand in his and he kissed it. “Hello, how do you know my father?”

Richard answered for the young man. “I’ve known his father for years, we competed for Top Boy together. But let’s continue this conversation after your things are in your room.”

She reached for all of her suitcases, and could barely hide her surprise when her father picked up half of her bags and led the way up to her room.

“Thank you, Father.”

“Brahm is going to be your husband, Zelda. His father is the next in line to be High Priest of their coven. You’ll bring dignity to the Spellman name.”

“But I don’t even know him.”

“You’ve proven that you can’t be trusted when it comes to who you welcome into your bed. I mean really Zelda, Faustus Blackwood? That man will never be anything as long as your brother is around.”

In that moment she remembered that she didn’t have the academy to run away to any longer, and she couldn’t let their guests hear them argue.

“When is the wedding?”

“In one year, we want it to appear like a genuine courtship. The two of you will have to make appearances in front of both covens. Of course you’ll spend more time with his. After the wedding you’ll no longer be in the Church of Night, you’ll be in the Church of Shadows, and you will play the doting housewife.”

“Well, I guess I shouldn’t keep my future husband waiting.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will have some verbal abuse directed towards Zelda, while it's not horrible if you don't want to read that it is unfortunately most of this chapter.  
Enjoy :)

The first nine months of their courtship went smoothly, the Church of Shadows had welcomed her with open arms. Members of the coven envied the young couple. They had made few appearances for the Church of Night, because Zelda didn’t want to run into Faustus. But now it was the night of the ball to celebrate Edward’s appointment as High Priest. She couldn't hide her relationship away anymore. The plan was to have Edward formally announce the engagement to their coven.

It felt weird to be back at the academy so soon after leaving. Instinctively she wanted to mingle among the students, but that wasn't her group anymore. She was a fully grown witch who, in theory, could mingle with whomever she wanted.

Zelda wore a green, off-the-shoulder gown that brought out the color of her eyes. Although the night was about Edward, whenever the couple was dancing everyone watched. She could feel Shirley’s eyes on her as Brahm slid his hand a little too low. At least Shirley and Edward were courting now, so she was no longer taunting Zelda.

They took a break from the dancing for Brahm to eat, while Zelda walked outside to get some fresh air. She had felt a little sick in the middle of the crowd and didn't want to spoil Edward's party. The chill of the night air prickled her skin. She was walking around the building, admiring the moon, when she saw someone vomiting in the bushes.

“Faustus, is that you?” A groan answered her question. She rubbed his back as he heaved, turning her nose away from what was happening. When he stopped she handed him a handkerchief. He cleaned himself up and smiled at her. 

While they talked a group of recent academy graduates watched. They laughed and made crude jokes about the couple’s past, not knowing that Brahm was standing behind them. He watched the way Zelda looked at the man, and the way the man touched her arms. Brahm slipped away from the scene and found Edward, before leaving the party.

Once she had made sure Faustus was okay she went back inside to continue dancing. Not seeing her betrothed in the room she walked over to her brother.

“Edward, have you seen Brahm?”

“He said he wasn’t feeling well and went home. So I guess we won’t be announcing your engagement tonight.”

* * *

The door creaked as she walked into Brahm’s house, she made a mental note to oil the hinges in the morning. She could hear him pacing and stumbling around the sitting room.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong? Edward said you weren’t feeling well.”

He pointed his finger at her, “You bitch!”

The stench of whiskey filled her nose and curdled her stomach. At this point in their relationship she had yet to see him in this state. “You’re drunk?”

“You slept with all of your teachers! How can I marry some slut? Don’t you know how important I am!? I can’t be seen with some common whore!” 

A slap across the face would have been a less painful blow. Her hands reached for his. “Brahm, please, nobody in your coven has to know about my past!”

His hands pulled away and he poured himself another drink. “They already do! I’ve heard them whispering, I thought they were just talking. Tonight, hearing your coven's whispers, just confirmed it. I saw how you two were looking at each other. His hands were all over you!”

“Nothing happened! He had had too much to drink and I helped him. We used to date, I told you that! I’ll tell you anything you want to know, all you have to do is ask me.” This conversation was one Zelda had known would be coming, but she thought she had more time to prepare.

“You don’t get to raise your voice at me! Any time a man looked at you, you fucked him!”

“Am I supposed to believe you didn’t sleep with anyone before me?”

He finished the drink in his hand and slammed the glass on the table. “I’m a man, it’s expected!”

“I’ve never heard you sound so mortal. We’re witches, Lupercalia exists. Casual sex isn’t a rarity, for Satan’s sake.”

“I’m an important warlock, Zelda! My wife is expected to be better than the average witch. Just get out! The wedding is off, I’ll tell my father in the morning. You should do the same.”

“Brahm, please…”

His voice was so quiet she could barely hear him, “I said get out.”

* * *

Careful not to wake her father, she snuck up to her bedroom. She couldn’t imagine how he would react to the news, but it wouldn’t be safe for her. If she were the only person she was concerned for she would have stayed to handle the punishment. But she had to think about someone else. She was pregnant and whatever Richard did to her would be severe enough to end her pregnancy. She had planned to tell Bram that they were expecting a child after the party, but she couldn’t, not now. Her bag was packed and she needed to go somewhere where she could keep her baby safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review or give me ideas! I would love to flesh this story out more, and while I do have some great ideas for this story timeline wise, they're towards the beginning of the show/where I want to end this story.


	7. Chapter 7

Zelda was careful to not stay in any place for very long throughout her pregnancy. Instead of living near other covens she tried to stay close to large communities of mortals, where her father hopefully wouldn’t dare to look. Every move moved her farther west. 

At the end of her pregnancy she was living in a room over one of the restaurants in town. The owner’s were letting her stay there in exchange for washing dishes. The night she gave birth Zelda was terrified, she had been feeling labor pains for a few hours when she went up to her room. After her mother died she had learned what it felt like to be alone, but this was a totally new type of loneliness. Afraid to let someone hear her she bit on a rag whenever the pain was too much. She had been in labor for hours and she knew something was wrong. 

The baby was sideways, not head down. Flashes of what her mother’s final labor was like filled her head. This same thing had happened. She needed to turn the baby. Biting down on the rag even harder she put her hands on her abdomen. With every attempt to turn the baby she wanted to scream, instead she settled for crying. Eventually she got the baby to be head down, and she started to push.

Once the head and body were out the baby’s wail filled the room. Zelda cried as she picked up her daughter for the first time. They had matching strawberry hair. She cut the cord as a knock echoed from the door.

“Mrs. Black, can I come in?”

She continued crying and the door opened as the woman who ran the restaurant below came inside.

“Oh dear, why didn’t you let me know? I could have gotten the doctor.”

“Can you take one of those towels on the dresser and get it wet with boiled water so I can clean her?”

“Of course.” She took care of Zelda, as Zelda took care of her daughter.

* * *

Cora was just seven months old when they settled into a new town in Illinois. The people of the town had taken pity on their little family upon hearing that Zelda had been widowed shortly after the birth of her child. She secured a job as a teacher. While she wasn’t crazy about teaching mortals the school provided a small house and the stability she wanted for her child.

Every day on her walk to work she would drop Cora off at her neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson's house, where she would spend the day with the two smallest Wilson children. Zelda worried about when Cora would develop her powers. What would happen to them if anyone in town learned they were witches? 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a character death at the end of this chapter. It isn't graphic, because I wasn't comfortable writing that, but nonetheless it's there.

They had been in the same town for almost a year and a half. Cora was growing up so quickly and Zelda loved her more than she had ever thought possible. Zelda would grade papers and if her pen rolled off of the table Cora would run over to pick it up and hand it back. Sometimes she would let it roll just to keep her daughter entertained.

Cora had a rag doll that Zelda had made from the dress she was wearing the night she left Greendale. The doll was never far out of reach and every time Zelda held it she was grateful for getting away safely.

Life was good. She found herself enjoying talking to the townspeople. Students would bring her old baby clothes, and the farmers always kept her kitchen stocked. She had even started letting students come over to play with the baby.

It was the week before Cora’s second birthday and Zelda had become very comfortable in their practically mortal lives. 

“Zelda! You have the smartest little girl I’ve ever met.”

Her heart stopped, fearing that Cora had discovered her powers. “What did she do?”

“I know it isn’t possible, but the kids were flipping through the pages of my old school books and I swear she was actually reading it.”

A wave of relief washed over her body. “Cora, can you read?” She swung the toddler through the air, resting her on her hip. “What do you say we go home? Say bye-bye to Eliza.”

Zelda took Cora home and made their supper. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it kept their stomachs full and warm. Clock chimes reminded her that she was supposed to go to an emergency town meeting, but she didn’t want to spend any more time away from Cora. Normally she would drop her off with the Wilsons, but not this time.

“What do you say, sweetheart? Do you want to go to town with Mama?”

* * *

After the meeting one of her neighbors, Samuel, offered to give them a ride back home. They talked about their kids and how the roof of her chicken coop needed fixing. The wagon stopped and he helped her down.

“I can take a look at it right now for you if you’d like. Heck, I probably have the things to fix it in the wagon.”

“That would be wonderful, thank you so much. I’ll be right back, I’m going to put Cora down.”

She lit the lantern on the table and placed the baby in her crib. Although she had been asleep her eyes fluttered and she stared at her mother’s face. Zelda kissed her forehead. As she pulled away Cora cupped her face with her hands and pulled Zelda back down to kiss her forehead.

“I love you so much, Cora. Time to go to sleep, I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Luh you, Mama.” Zelda felt her heart flutter as she tucked her daughter in. She didn’t notice the figure standing in the shadow behind the door.

Walking back outside she found Samuel hammering the last few nails into the chicken coop. His back was to her, so she magicked a cup of coffee into her hand. She stood across from him and held out the cup.

He nodded at her and took a drink from the cup. “You always make the best coffee. All this roof needed was to be reattached. It should be good now.”

“Thank you, I probably could have fixed it myself, but now that’s one less thing for me to worry about.”

“Anytime you need anything repaired around the house I’d be more than happy to help you out.” He finished the coffee and handed the cup back to her and they walked to his wagon. “Everyone in town really likes having you here, so if you need anything just…”

A cry came from the house. Zelda’s smile fell and she looked towards the house.

“Sorry, I have to go. Thank you for your help.” The next cry sounded pained, and muffled. Zelda dropped the coffee cup and ran towards her house. The crying stopped and so did Zelda. She watched a figure running away from the house and began to run again. She burst through the door and ran to the crib

Her scream could have curdled blood. Samuel ran in behind her and saw Zelda breaking down as she fell in front of the crib. He peered into the crib to find Cora laying blue-faced in the crib with an obviously broken neck. He ran outside to see if he could still see the figure, but the figure was long gone.

Zelda’s screams could be heard literally a mile away, and a few neighbors began to show up. Samuel stood outside the door and told them what had happened. They split up and began to search the area for who could’ve done this. Eliza came and sat with Zelda while she cried. Eventually the men came back and they decided that Mr. Wilson would stay at Zelda’s house with Cora’s body while Eliza took Zelda to their house. In all of the chaos nobody noticed Zelda holding a piece of paper saying ‘I know what you are.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I'm sorry! I was thinking about Zelda's reaction to witch hunters and how witches without covens were easy targets and then this poured out.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is less sad.  
Enjoy :)

The two Spellman brothers stood on the edge of their property, talking where Hilda’s ears wouldn’t overhear.

“It’s done, Edward. Zelda will come crawling back any day now.”

“How did you do it?”

“You were right. She had had a baby. So I glamoured myself to look like a witch hunter, and killed the child. The note I left sounded like it was from a witch hunter.”

“It needed to be done. Father has been relentless in his demands to have her back.”

“Do you think we went too far?”

“Philip, you know as well as I that Zelda’s place is here. And she wasn’t going to come back as long as there was someone in the world who loved her.”

“Still, if either one of us had a child don’t you think Zelda would risk her life for it?”

“I’m sure she would, but we’re not talking about our children. We’re talking about Zelda’s bastard. This conversation ends here, and we never speak of it again. I need to get back to the academy.”

* * *

A month later Zelda had packed her belongings and she stood in front of the school, waiting for the stagecoach to arrive. Her students hugged her and said their goodbyes. She got into the stagecoach and waved for the last time to the only mortals she had ever cared for. It was all her fault. If she hadn’t gotten so used to ignoring magic she would have felt that there was witch hunter energy in the house. 

With no reason to keep running she had decided to go home. The only meaning her life had was gone, and she needed to be around people she loved and who loved her. 

She walked into her father’s house and went straight to the kitchen, where she found Hilda. Hilda’s eyes opened wide and upon seeing the defeat in Zelda’s eyes she wrapped her into a hug. Zelda cried and opened her hand, showing Hilda the note.

“Oh love.”

* * *

Richard Spellman had beat her so severely when he saw her that healing spells wouldn’t work. Hilda would go to her room and apply balm to her black eye every afternoon until it started to fade. Zelda spent the first month back home staying in the house so there wouldn’t be any evidence of the abuse.

But it wasn’t as if she had been in the mood to leave the house anyway. Most days she stayed in bed with the curtains shut. Hilda would bring a tray of food up and leave it by the bed. The next time she came up she would bring a fresh tray and take the untouched tray back to the kitchen. Zelda cried all of the time, and whenever she slept she would wake up screaming. Philip helped Hilda move her things into Zelda’s bedroom so it would be easier to take care of her.

Edward dropped in from time to time, never staying for very long. Most of the time he wouldn’t even see Zelda, he would just talk loud enough for her to hear him. But now Edward had taken it upon himself to get her out of the house.

“Zelda, get out of bed. You’ve been crying for much too long. It’s time to be welcomed back by the coven.”

“I can’t, Edward, I don’t have it in me.”

“Nonsense! You’re a Spellman, and Spellmans aren’t weak. Shirley is throwing some dinner for the professors from the academy, you should come and show everyone that you’ve returned.”

“I…”

“Your High Priest isn’t asking Sister, he’s telling.” He left her room and bumped into Philip. “Philip, make sure Zelda is at Shirley’s dinner tomorrow night.”

“Shouldn’t we leave her alone? Father already beat her for fleeing. Let her come back on her own.”

“Don’t argue with me. It’s for her own good.”

“But her daughter…”

“You were the one who killed it. If you don’t want me to tell her you had better do what I say.”

* * *

The first time she appeared before the coven she heard all the whispers. Nobody asked where she had been except for Faustus. Everyone knew he had had something to do with the ended relationship. She learned that Brahm had married one of the other girls from her coven, and while she was heartbroken upon realizing he had never had the chance to meet their daughter she was glad he didn’t have to feel the sadness she felt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe deep in my heart that Edward Spellman was a dick.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy :)

It had been years since she had come back home. Richard Spellman had become incredibly sick and passed away. Zelda had slowly started to show her feelings after his death. The abuse was over, there was nobody to disappoint but herself. Still, she hadn’t told anyone about her life while she was away. Cora’s things were locked in the chest at the foot of her bed and left Hilda’s questions unanswered. Trying to distance herself from her life with the mortals, she had left teaching behind and become a midwife. Countless babies and mothers had been saved on Zelda’s watch.

The Spellman sisters sat in the parlor reading when Philip, who hadn’t been home in over a year, walked in through the door. He set his bag down and walked towards his sisters. Hilda noticed him first.

“What do you have there, love?”

“This,” he set the bundle down in Zelda’s arms, “is my son, Ambrose.”

“Your son?” Hilda questioned her brother. 

Zelda stood up and walked towards the window. “Hi little one, I’m your Auntie Zelda.”

Philip and Hilda watched their sister interacting with her nephew. Hilda turned back to her brother.

“Where is his mother?”

“She’s married, but her husband’s skin is even darker than hers. There was no way he would have believed the baby was his.”

“You got a married woman pregnant! Don’t you know how to be careful?”

Zelda walked back to her siblings. “Hush, Hilda. If he had been responsible this darling little boy wouldn’t be here.” She sat down and moved the blanket out of his face. Five little fingers wrapped around her index finger. 

All of the sudden she was sitting in her room above the restaurant holding a newborn Cora. All of Cora’s fingers were wrapped around her one. It wasn’t until she felt tears fall on her arm that she remembered she was actually in the Spellman house. Philip had looked away, but Hilda was watching intently.

* * *

Philip still couldn’t stand to look at Zelda for very long, every time he saw her with his son he felt worse about what he had done. He watched her help Ambrose take his first steps and listened as she taught him to speak. Philip would watch as she held him on her hip while doing chores.

One day the guilt became too much for him. He saw his sister holding his sleeping son, while reading one of her many books. He poured a drink for himself and for her. When he held it out to her she set her book down and looked to him for an explanation.

“I’ve accepted a job as a bodyguard for the Anti-Pope.”

“That’s great news, Philip!”

“I would start next week.They lost a lot of men during the mortal Great War, and I meet the physical qualifications.”

“Next week?” She looked down at her nephew, who was still sleeping soundly against her. “I don’t know how I’ll be able to say good-bye to both of you.”

“What if you didn’t have to?” Confusion filled her face. “I want Ambrose to stay with you. I don’t think I can give him the level of care he deserves, and I can’t take him away from you.”

“But he’s your child! Yes, I love him but he should be with his father.”

“Please, Zelda, he’s better off with you. I’ll feel better knowing he’s safe and cared for.”

“Philip, take him with you. If you don’t you’ll regret every moment you spend away from him.”

“Is that how you feel?”

It felt like someone had a vise grip on her heart.“What?”  
“Nothing. Forget I said anything.” He poured himself another drink, and left a shaken Zelda in her chair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I currently have a big gap in between what I have already posted and when Sabrina comes along. So if anyone has any suggestions for this story I will gladly take them. Thank you!


	11. Chapter 11

It was the week of Ambrose’s twentieth birthday when Edward received word of an accident involving the Antipope. He gathered his sisters and his nephew.

“What is it, Uncle?”

“It’s about your father. There was an assassination attempt, Philip stepped in between the witch hunter and the Antipope.”

Zelda wrapped her arm around her nephew and pulled him close. “How bad is he injured?”

“He’s dead.”

“Satan in hell.”

Ambrose stormed out of the house. Hilda sat on the sofa crying and Zelda ran after him. He was moving fast.

“Ambrose! Please come back here.”

He stopped and turned. “Aunt Zelda, I’d like to be alone.”

She continued towards him and put her hands on his arms. “Don’t do anything impulsive. If you want to talk I’ll be in my room.” He kept walking as she watched. Long after he was out of sight she returned to the house. 

The smell of baked goods filled the house, which meant Hilda was trying to keep busy. Edward stopped his oldest sister as she walked up the stairs.

“Where is he?”

“He wouldn’t come back and I couldn’t follow him.”

“Zelda, he isn’t mature enough to handle this on his own!”

“I was almost half his age! You weren’t here, Edward! I didn’t have a choice, but he has us. He just needs to blow off some steam before coming back.”

“Don’t raise your voice at your High Priest!”

“I’m not talking to my High Priest! I am talking to my fucking brother!” Before she could blink he slapped her. She put her hand over her cheek and glared. Her voice was intense, yet quiet. “You are just like Father. You can’t handle anything less than perfection. If Mother could see you now she would be disappointed in who you have become.”

His hands gripped her arms, nails digging into her skin. “I am not the disappointment, Zelda. Go to your room, I don’t want to see you anymore tonight.”

The house fell silent as the siblings marched to opposite ends of the house. Hilda stood in the kitchen rubbing flour on her hands. Her remaining siblings were at odds and all she could do was bake bread.

* * *

“Zelds, wake up! Ambrose still isn’t home!”

She glanced towards the window to see the sun coming up. “What do you mean he isn’t home?”

“After you and Edward went to bed I stayed up to wait for Ambrose. I dosed off and when I woke up he still wasn’t back!”

The sisters got dressed and woke their brother. Hilda and Edward were going to look for him in the woods, while Zelda was going to look for him in town. They spent all day looking for him, and put surrounding covens on notice that they were looking for him.

Edward went back to the academy, but the sisters sat at their kitchen table waiting for the door to open. They planned their brother’s funeral. Every time a board creaked they looked, hoping their nephew had returned.

* * *

Five years had passed since Philip’s untimely death. The siblings still hadn’t heard any news about their nephew. Hilda and Zelda were summoned to the academy. They sat impatiently in their brother’s office. Edward walked in, Ambrose in tow. Zelda rushed to hug him, but Edward put his arm between them.

“What happened?”

“It seems that our nephew was caught in an attempt to blow up the Vatican.”

She took a step back and examined the man she had raised. “Ambrose! Why would you do such a thing?”

“It’s not important, Auntie.”

She sat back down. “What is his punishment?”

Edward nudged his nephew away from him. “He is under house arrest, and my care, for the next 75 years.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy :)

The Spellman siblings and their nephew sat around the kitchen table, eating their weekly mandatory family meal. Ambrose usually asked his uncle questions about things at the academy to get his fill of the outside world, but Hilda beat him to it.

“Edward, did you and Shirley break-up again? She wouldn’t stop glaring at me when I was helping her sister’s midwife run her tests.”

“We’ve parted ways.”

“How long will it last this time?” Zelda asked.

“I met someone else.”

“Which coven is she from?”

“Well… she’s not from a coven.”

“A High Priest dating an excommunicate? How modern.”

Hilda chuckled, “Zelds, no one says ‘modern’ anymore.”

Zelda glared at her sister. Edward continued with his news.

“She’s not from a coven, because she’s a mortal.”

Everyone dropped their silverware, and Zelda choked on the water she was drinking.

“What will the Dark Lord think? His High Priest… with a mortal.”

“We made a deal. He’s given me permission to marry her, in fact, he encouraged it.”

They finished their meal, the others didn’t notice that Zelda remained silent for the rest of the night. She took her time washing the dishes; the water started out steaming, but was frigid by the time she finished.

Once all of the lights in the house were out Zelda put on her coat and walked to the academy. She walked straight to the library and sat at the corner table she used to claim. The notch she had nervously made in the leg was still there. She chose a book off of the closest shelf and started reading. Entranced in the book, she didn’t realize someone had sat down across from her. A cough brought her back to the real world.

“Faustus, what are you doing here so late?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing.”

“I needed time away from my family.”

He nodded in understanding, “Yes I know your brother.”

She smiled, “He’s going to propose to someone who… Let’s just say that if I had brought home someone with the same traits father would have…”

“I remember what he would do. How does that make you feel?”

“If I had been a son instead of a daughter life would’ve been so much easier.”

“Well I’m glad we had the time together that we did.”

“I am too. But, Faustus…”

“I know. It isn’t fair that he is able to do these things when you were beaten for them.” She shifted her gaze to her hands. “So what is this woman like?”

“I know her name is Diana, and that she is… mortal. But that was all he told us.” Faustus tried to hide his surprise, but she saw his eyebrows rise. “Exactly. My brother, the High Priest, and a mortal.”

He glanced at the clock on the wall. “I hate to do this, but if I don’t get going Constance will not be happy.”

“How is Constance? I haven’t seen her in ages.”

“She has been working tirelessly on finding new arrangements for the Satanic Choir.”

The wrapped up their conversation, and walked out of the academy together. Zelda walked home, feeling lighter than she had earlier.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was actually the first one I wrote for this story and it's probably my favorite one.  
Enjoy :)

The baby in her arms didn’t know it, but her life would never be a normal one. The call had come in half an hour ago; Edward and Diana had been in a plane crash. She no longer had a brother. Her niece was an orphan at six months.

The funeral was as perfect as a funeral can be. For most of Diana’s family it was the first time they were meeting Sabrina. Zelda didn’t want to let go of Sabrina, but she understood that it was important for Diana’s mother, Barbara, to hold her grandchild during the service. 

During the wake Hilda and the members of the coven mingled with Diana’s family and friends, but Zelda stood in the corner of the kitchen, keeping out of the way. She absentmindedly started washing dishes, watching the children of the coven playing outside with Diana’s nephews. If her brother could see how well witches and mortals were getting along he would be extremely proud.

Zelda dropped a plate when a hand gripped her shoulder. “Sister Spellman, I’m sorry for your loss.”

She turned around, wiping her hands on a towel, to see her new High Priest in front of her. “This can’t be real, Faustus. The way everyone is acting today is what Edward wanted. How can he not be here to see it?” Zelda’s lip quivered and she turned back toward the sink to hide her tears.

“Come on.” Faustus led her out onto the porch. She sat on the porch swing and buried her head in her hands. He sat and rubbed her back as she cried silently. After two minutes she forced herself to stop crying, and wiped her eyes. Zelda spoke first.

“So you got a promotion, you must be pleased.”

“Under different circumstances maybe.”

“It’s okay to be excited, you studied for years for the position.”

They turned their heads when they heard the door open. Barbara walked out holding Sabrina. Faustus walked back into the house and she took his spot. Sabrina started reaching for Zelda and cried until Zelda was the one holding her. She quieted instantly and started playing with Zelda’s hair.

Barbara watched the two interact. “She really loves you, I hope you’ll come visit us once she gets settled in.”

For the first time Zelda thought about Sabrina leaving Greendale. How could she tell a woman who just lost her daughter that she couldn’t take her granddaughter? Surely being the child’s Night Mother meant that Zelda would be responsible for raising her. It wouldn’t be safe for an unaware mortal to raise a half-witch. Instead of bringing up the topic of guardianship at a wake Zelda bit her tongue.

“When are you leaving?”

“The earliest would be noon tomorrow, but it depends on how quickly Sabrina’s things can be packed.”

Before she could respond the door opened and Faustus walked out.

“I’m afraid I have to go home now, I’m so sorry for your loss, both of you.” He started walking down the stairs and driveway. Zelda had something to ask him, but she couldn’t ask in front of Diana’s mother.

“Faustus, wait! Just let me put Sabrina down.”

Barbara put her hands out, “I can take her in.”

Zelda handed Sabrina over and waited for them to go inside. “Faustus, could you look at some papers for me? Diana’s mother wants to take Sabrina with her, but I know Edward must have made sure Hilda and I would be her guardians if anything ever happened.” 

He looked down at his watch and back at her. He really did need to leave, but he could see a million worries sketched into her face. 

“Of course I will.”

Zelda led him to Edward’s office on the second floor. She knew members of the coven would probably talk about Zelda leading him up the stairs, but quite frankly nobody could say anything that hadn’t already been said about the two of them.

In the office Zelda and Faustus looked through all of the drawers trying to find a will. They found all of the insurance papers for both Edward and Diana, but they couldn’t find a will. Zelda was clearly getting frustrated the second time through one of the filing cabinets. She slammed the bottom drawer shut with such force that she knocked herself off of her feet. Faustus held his hand out to help her up. He misjudged the force needed to pull her up and she collided into him. On contact she started crying. 

He wrapped his arms around her as she cried. She knew she was breaking the boundary rules they had set for themselves after they had stopped seeing each other, but now he was the only person alive who knew about the darkest moments in her life. When the stream of tears slowed she looked up at him. They moved in to kiss, but stopped when they heard Sabrina cry.

Faustus took a step back, “I really need to go back home. Constance isn’t feeling well and if I leave her alone much longer I don’t even want to think about what she’ll do.”

“Of course, go. I’m sorry to have kept you.”

“I’ll look through the papers in his office at the Academy. I’m sure I’ll find them.”

“Thank you.”

He kissed her cheek and left the office. She walked out into the hallway and stood at the top of the stairs as he left the Spellman house. Once the front door closed Zelda walked into the nursery. Sabrina was standing in the crib and once she saw her aunt walking towards her she calmed down.

“What’s wrong sweetheart? Is your diaper wet?” Zelda changed Sabrina’s diaper and sat with her in the rocking chair. Sabrina wrapped her hands around Zelda’s bracelets. Zelda slipped them off and held them out for the baby. Sabrina grabbed one in each hand and hit them together. Eventually Sabrina fell asleep in Zelda’s arms and Zelda studied her niece.

If they couldn’t find a will that kept Sabrina in the Spellman house she needed to remember everything about her. Despite the blonde hair, Sabrina looked just like Edward.

* * *

Hilda walked into the nursery after everyone had left to find a sleeping Zelda holding Sabrina. She put Sabrina in the crib and put a blanket over Zelda. She heard someone knocking on the front door and went to answer it before it would wake them up. 

Faustus was on the other side of the door, holding a file of papers.

“I found Edward’s will. Diana’s is in there as well. It looks like Sabrina is supposed to stay with you two, not Diana’s family.”

“What? Why would she go with Diana’s family?”

“Her mother told Zelda she was going to take her home.”

Hilda took the papers and thanked him. Why wouldn’t Zelda tell her that she thought they were going to lose Sabrina?


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy :)

It was the perfect day to wash all of the linen in the Spellman house. Ambrose was busy working on a body in the embalming room and Hilda had gone to Riverdale for the day to meet up with one of her friends. Zelda hung the sheets on the clothesline as four year old Sabrina played with the pillowcases waiting to be hung. She watched as the child took the wet pillowcases and put them on her head like a hat. Sabrina would run circles around the basket until she would drop the pillowcase. If rewashing a few pillowcases was the price for Sabrina to stay by her side Zelda would gladly pay it.

Inside, the phone started ringing. Zelda double checked that Sabrina was occupied with the laundry before running inside. After making arrangements for another funeral she went back outside. The pillowcase was in the dirt and Sabrina was nowhere in sight. 

She ran to the top of the basement stairs. 

“Ambrose! Come outside, I need help!” He immediately ran up the stairs, discarding his apron and gloves as he went.

“What’s wrong, Auntie? You’re even paler than usual.”

“Sabrina is missing! I answered the phone and now she’s gone!”

“I’ll take the back yard, you take the front. We’ll find her, and Aunt Zee, breathe.”

Zelda searched behind every bump in the yard. Their car pulled up the driveway and Hilda got out. She ran towards her sister.

“Hilda! Sabrina is…”

“Right here.” Hilda opened the back seat and pulled the little girl out of the back seat. Zelda moved even quicker towards the car. Suddenly she felt nauseous and stopped moving. She dropped to her knees and vomited into the weeds.

She must have stayed on the ground longer than she realized because Ambrose helped her up and walked her into the house. After settling her down in the living room, with her feet on the couch, Hilda brought out a cup of tea.

“Thank you.” Zelda took it and sipped carefully. “Where was she?”

“It seems that a butterfly had landed on the basket and when it started to fly away she followed it.”

“How far away was she?” Hilda debated whether her sister could handle the answer. It had always been clear that she was protective of their niece, but her becoming physically ill was not something Hilda expected.

“She was sitting on that rock by the road Edward used to stand on all the time. If it weren’t for the trees you would’ve been able to see her.”

“How could she have gotten that far that fast? I was only gone five minutes.” Before Hilda could answer Ambrose and Sabrina walked into the room. Sabrina ran straight into Zelda’s arms and she lifted the child onto her lap. Zelda wrapped her arms tightly around Sabrina and kissed the top of her head. She started crying and buried her face into the blonde hair. Ambrose and Hilda left the room to let Zelda calm down.

“Sweetheart, you can’t run off like that. It isn’t safe. Your Aunt Hilda or I need to know where you’re going before you just leave.”

“Okay, sorry Aunt Zee”

When Ambrose walked through on his way to the kitchen he found the two of them asleep.

* * *

That night as they were dressing for bed Hilda stopped and looked at her sister.

“Zelds, I understand that you were afraid for Sabrina, but you got sick. Why?”

“Because Hilda, the day she was born I promised myself nothing would ever harm her. I couldn’t see her and when children are out of my sight bad things happen.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with a new chapter! Things got busy with school, but I hope to regularly update this story until it's finished!  
Enjoy :)

The years had come and gone. Sabrina had grown up, but she still had a habit of panicking her aunts. Now it was less about Sabrina going missing, and more about Sabrina starting trouble. Hilda went to Baxter High at the request of one of her teachers weekly. Zelda usually went in when it was a principle meeting, 

But now Zelda’s focus was less on Sabrina causing trouble at school, and more on Sabrina’s dark baptism. Yes, Sabrina had signed the book; but they both knew she had done it out of necessity and not want. 

Neither school had resumed classes from winter break yet and Zelda knew Sabrina was going stir-crazy. Heavens, she was too! But Sabrina had stopped talking to her mortal friends and the Weird Sisters were still wary to come back after the séance incident.

There had been a multiple-car car accident on the edge of town keeping the mortuary busy, so Zelda spent less time worrying about Sabrina than usual. Hilda had started preparing supper, as Ambrose finished up the last body. He had sent Zelda upstairs to lie down before they ate. But when she got to her room the door was ajar. Sabrina’s white hair bobbed up and down in front of Zelda’s open cedar chest.

“Sabrina, what are you doing? That is kept locked for a reason!”

“Sorry, I was reading one of Dad’s journals and he mentioned that you kept something important in here.”

“That doesn’t give you the right to go through it! Really Sabrina, didn’t I raise you better than that?”

Sabrina turned and revealed what was in her lap. “Auntie, why do you have a picture of you and a baby? And a lock of your hair?” She held up a red curl tied with blue ribbon.

“That’s not my hair, it’s her’s.”

“Who?”

“Her name was Cora.” Zelda sat on the floor next to Sabrina, gently taking hold of the picture. “She looked like a little clone of me, except for her eyes. They were dark brown like her father’s, and whenever I looked in them the whole world would melt away and leave just the two of us.” Zelda paused to try to halt the tears forming in her eyes. She was dying to light a cigarette.

“Auntie, I’m so sorry. What happened to her?”

“She, uh, was murdered in our home. I was outside with a neighbor and I heard her cry. She was so little I thought the first cry was just because she couldn’t see me. But the second cry… the second cry was pained. I ran to the house, but it was too late. He left through the window and was never found. I cried for hours while everyone looked for him. A month later I came back here and haven’t left since.”

“Is that why you would never let me out of your sight growing up?”

She nodded, “I was always so afraid what happened to her would happen to you.”

“Why hasn’t anyone ever told me about her? Dad didn’t even say anything about her in his journals.”

“Because you’re the only other living person who knows. It was right after your father became High Priest, about 130 years ago. I was supposed to get married and we’d had a fight and broken it off. Hilda may tell you differently, but my father was a very cruel man. I knew if I told him that I was pregnant and no longer engaged to the man he had chosen for me he would have killed me. So I left.”

“Would you have come back if she were still alive?”

“I don’t believe so.”

Sabrina hugged her aunt and started to cry. The two held each other on the floor crying for an hour before there was a knock at the door.

“Auntie Zee, Sabrina, I’m supposed to let you know it’s time for supper.”

Sabrina started to leave when Zelda put her hand out. “Wait, Edward wrote about me?”

“Sometimes, mostly in the journals from when he was still in school.”

“What did he say?”

“That after Grandma died you grew up almost instantly. Auntie, what did he mean?”

“It’s a long story, and your Aunt Hilda would not appreciate it if we didn’t go down to eat.” Zelda watched as Sabrina reluctantly went downstairs.

* * *

Sabrina kept looking at Zelda as they ate their meal. Ambrose watched as his aunt try to ignore his cousin’s stare.

“Did Aunt Zee grow horns out of her head, cousin?”

Zelda let out an exasperated sigh. Of course Sabrina was going to draw attention to her after learning her biggest secret. The fact that she hadn’t already blurted out that she had had a child surprised Zelda.

Sabrina ignored her cousin’s question and spoke her thoughts. “I can’t believe you never told anyone. A secret like that, for over a hundred years?” Hilda and Ambrose watched as Zelda clenched her jaw and continued to cut her food into tiny pieces.

Hilda spoke up, “What secret are you referring to love?”

“Those years when Aunt Zelda didn’t live here and nobody knew where she was.”

Zelda dropped her utensils. “Sabrina!”

“You can’t just tell me something like that and expect me to not think about it.”

“If I remember correctly I didn’t tell you because I wanted to. You were digging through my private things!”

Hilda stepped in before anyone said anything they’d instantly regret. “Love, you are a teenaged witch. You can’t just dig through someone else’s things without permission. Apologize to your aunt.”

“But she had a baby, Aunt Hilda, and she didn’t tell anyone!” The room went silent and all eyes were on Zelda. She stood and walked out of the room. Ambrose stared at his cousin as Hilda followed her sister.

“Cousin, you need to work on your secret keeping.”

“But…”

“No, Sabrina, that wasn’t your secret to tell. There is obviously a reason she has never told anyone. How would you like it if Aunt Zelda told the entire family a secret of yours?”

“She has! Don’t you remember when she told everyone I got my period!?”

“That’s really not the same thing. Now go apologize.”

Sabrina and Ambrose walked into the living room to find Zelda sitting on the couch with her head in her hands as Hilda sat next to her, rubbing soothing circles on her back. Sabrina kneeled in front of her aunt.

“I’m sorry, Auntie. Your secret wasn’t mine to tell.”

Zelda looked up and reached for Sabrina’s hands. “Thank you.”

“But now that we all know, could you explain what my dad meant when he said you grew up almost instantly?”

“Sabrina!” Hilda and Ambrose shouted, in unison.

“I just want to understand you better.”

“I’ll tell you, but understand that this is not the way to get what you want. The way you have treated my privacy today has been deplorable.”

Hilda offered her seat to Sabrina and moved to the chair on the other side of the room.

“It started when Mother died. We had been planning on adding another person to the family, not losing them. When things started going wrong in her labor Father sent me into the room to comfort her. But there was so much blood and she was ready to push, but the baby wasn’t lined up correctly. She died and he harbored resentment because I hadn’t been able to stop it. But I was only a child. I didn’t know then what I know now. I looked just like Mother, and Father… he… he didn’t know quite how to handle it.” She wiped the tears from under her eyes. Hilda moved to stand in front of Zelda.

“Zelds… what did he do to you?”

She wrung her hands and looked at her lap. Sabrina sat next to her, grabbed her aunt’s hands, and rested her head on her shoulder.

“Aunt Zelda, it’s okay. You’re safe here.”

“After she died, he would get in my bed… and kiss me… and touch me… and h…”

“Zelda, did Father rape you?” Zelda looked up, locked eyes with her sister, and nodded. “More than once?”

“Too many times to count.”

Ambrose stormed upstairs as the women held each other with every fiber of their being. Zelda kissed the top of Sabrina’s head as they heard glass shatter upstairs. Hilda stood and went upstairs to be with Ambrose.

“Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

“People knew, but all the wrong people knew. Nobody who knew was someone who was looking out for me. They saw that their friend had a girl who couldn’t say no, and took advantage.”

“Auntie!”

“Now I think we’ve talked about this more than enough. You should get to bed, you’ve got school tomorrow.”

“But you just said…”

“Sabrina, please, this is my story. Let me tell it when I choose.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you believe me if I said that I had this chapter written 7 months ago and I just never posted it? I haven't written anything new for this story yet. I don't really know what to do with it, and I know that I would love to include Marie but I didn't envision the timeline going that far. So eventually we'll see what happens.  
If you have any ideas I would absolutely love to hear them!!  
Enjoy :)

Lilith noticed how the young Spellman wasn’t her usual know-it-all self in class. While it wasn’t her intention to actually care about the witch she knew whatever was happening inside could interfere with the Dark Lord’s plans.

The bell rang. “Sabrina can I talk to you for a moment?”

She grabbed her things and “Yes Ms. Wardwell?”

Lilith could see how red and swollen Sabrina’s eyes were. “Let’s go to my office, I’ll write you a pass to your next class.”

They walked through the hallway and Lilith noticed that, for once, Sabrina didn’t try to fill the silence. Once in the office Sabrina slumped into a chair.

“What happened? Is it about your dark baptism? The Academy?”

“No, it has nothing to do with me... Ms. Wardwell, can I confide in you?”

“Of course, that’s what I’m here for.” Whatever she was about to spill was bound to help immensely in Sabrina’s journey to signing the Book of the Beast.

“Last night I learned that my grandfather did horrible, horrible things to my aunt after my grandmother died.”

“Which aunt?”

“Zelda.”

Memories of sitting in the bedroom of a young Zelda Spellman flooded Lilith’s mind. The stench of liquor wafting through the house. The pounding of fists against the wooden door. More than once Lilith would send the sleeping Zelda away and cast a glamour on herself.

“Ms. Wardwell?”

“I’m sorry... Do you want to talk about it?”

“She’s the strongest person I know, but she was talking about it and she just… couldn’t do it. She was crying and she had a daughter who died...” Lilith tried and failed to hide her surprise, but Sabrina wasn’t paying enough attention to notice. She had always wondered about the gap of years when Zelda didn’t pray to her. “... I always thought she acted like that because she didn’t want me to spoil the family image. But it was because her daughter was murdered and she was terrified it would happen to me.”

Lilith and Sabrina sat and talked for the entire period. The bell rang and Lilith remembered that she had another class to teach.

“I have to go to my last class. If you want to stay here or go home I can talk to the attendance office for you.”

“Could I stay here for a while? I don’t want to go home too early.”

“Of course. If you want to wait I’ll drive you home.”

* * *

  
  


Lilith walked Sabrina into the house. She set Sabrina’s books on a side table and watched as the blonde sulked to the kitchen. Before she could leave Hilda spotted her.

“Ms. Wardwell, would you like a cup of tea?”

“I’d love one, thank you.”

Hilda and Lilith talked about how Sabrina was doing in school throughout the dark baptism situation. They hadn’t realized how long they had been talking until Zelda came down the stairs. She paused upon seeing the teacher, knowing that Sabrina must have said something about what everyone had learned the night before.

Lilith stayed for dinner and a nightcap. Zelda went out to the porch to smoke and Lilith followed her. They sat down and Zelda waited for the other woman to say something.

“Sabrina told me about what you told her last night. I’m truly sorry you had to live through that. If I could go back and keep you safe every time that happened I would.” Lilith reached a hand out and Zelda grabbed it. “She also told me about... your daughter. If you ever want to talk about it to someone who isn’t your family I can be here in one phone call.”

“Thank you... and thank you for taking care of her today, it wasn’t right of her to bother you with the whole deal.”


End file.
